Mississippi State's Chris Stratton pitches against LSU in the first inning of their NCAA college baseball game during the Southeastern Conference tournament in Hoover, Ala. on Wednesday, May 23, 2012.

Mississippi State's Chris Stratton pitches against LSU in the first inning of their NCAA college baseball game during the Southeastern Conference tournament in Hoover, Ala. on Wednesday, May 23, 2012.

Photo: Butch Dill / Associated Press

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Mississippi State's Chris Stratton, right, celebrates with Mississippi State's Mitch Slauter after they defeated Vanderbilt 3-0 in the ninth inning of their game during the Southeastern Conference tournament in Hoover, Ala. on May 27, 2012. less

Mississippi State's Chris Stratton, right, celebrates with Mississippi State's Mitch Slauter after they defeated Vanderbilt 3-0 in the ninth inning of their game during the Southeastern Conference tournament ... more

Photo: Butch Dill / Associated Press

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Mississippi State pitcher Chris Stratton, of Tupelo, Miss., poses with the Ferriss Trophy, an award that is given to the state's top college baseball player, Monday, May 14, 2012 at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in Jackson, Miss. The right-hander has been one of the most dominant pitchers in the Southeastern Conference this season, with a 9-1 record and 2.22 ERA. less

Mississippi State pitcher Chris Stratton, of Tupelo, Miss., poses with the Ferriss Trophy, an award that is given to the state's top college baseball player, Monday, May 14, 2012 at the Mississippi Sports ... more

Photo: Keith Warren / Associated Press

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Mississippi State pitcher Chris Stratton accepts the Ferriss Trophy Monday, May 14, 2012 at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame from "Boo" Ferriss, Jim Richmond, and museum director Rick Cleveland. Stratton beat out Delta State pitcher Colton Mitchell and Ole Miss second baseman Alex Yarbrough. The Ferriss Trophy is named after Dave "Boo" Ferriss of Shaw, Miss.; a 1964 inductee in the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. Ferriss was a three-time All-SEC player at Mississippi State who won 46 games in his first two seasons as a pitcher with the Boston Red Sox including Game 4 of the 1946 World Series. less

Mississippi State pitcher Chris Stratton throws in the fourth inning of an NCAA regional college baseball game against Samford on Friday, June 1, 2012, in Tallahassee, Fla.

Mississippi State pitcher Chris Stratton throws in the fourth inning of an NCAA regional college baseball game against Samford on Friday, June 1, 2012, in Tallahassee, Fla.

Photo: Phil Sears / Associated Press

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The full story on Giants' first-round pick Chris Stratton and his San Francisco culinary connection

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Filed by Henry Schulman at AT&T Park

As Will Clark watched what he called “a whale of a game” between alma mater Mississippi St. and LSU in Baton Rouge in March, three Giants scouts were watching, too. They saw Bulldogs starter Chris Stratton strike out 17 in a duel with the Tigers’ Kevin Gausman, who struck out 11.

The Giants had no shot at drafting Gausman on Monday, as Baltimore took him with the fourth pick. The Giants liked Stratton as well, but scouting director John Barr lamented to Clark that the 6-foot-3, 190-pounder would not be available when they picked 20th.

But he was, and the Giants jumped at the chance to take Stratton with their only first-round pick.

“John just called me not too long ago and he was pretty fired up that Stratton was still on the board,” Clark said.

“We picked a Mississippi State guy,” Barr retorted, “so Will will be happy.”

Stratton, 21 and a native of Tupelo, Miss., was 11-2 with a 2.38 ERA in 17 games for the Bulldogs, including 12 starts. The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder struck out 127 batters in 109 2/3 innings to win Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Year.

“He has a four-pitch mix,” Barr said. “He can throw breaking balls for strikes. His fastball goes anywhere from 90 to 95. He really competes on the mound.”

Stratton is a late bloomer who was not drafted out of high school but developed phsyically and on the mound at Mississippi St. He now has a chance to join a rotation stocked with first-rounders Madison Bumgarner, Tim Linceucm and Matt Cain.

“Those guys are outstanding pitchers,” Stratton said in a conference call. “Just to be on the same team with them is a blessing. This is the kind of organization I want to be a part of, which puts an emphasis on pitching. I hope I’ll be able to learn from those guys.”

Stratton also looks forward to celebrating with his aunt and uncle, Sharon and Gaines Dobbins, who live in San Francisco. Gaines is a chef who bikes to Giants games.

Stratton is the first pitcher the Giants have taken with their first pick since Zack Wheeler in 2009. The Giants traded Wheeler to the Mets last season for Carlos Beltran.

Though draft-watchers assumed the Giants would select a college pitcher to replenish the system with another fast-track arm, Barr said that as usual the team drafted the best player available.

“Our board was mixed,” he said. “We had both high school and college pitchers and position players. Depending on how it went, if (Stratton) had not been there, whether we would have taken a pitcher or not, I’m not so sure.”

Stratton first caught the Giants’ attention at the Cape Cod summer league last year. How quickly he reaches majors depends on many factors, starting with how quickly the Giants can sign him and how many innings the organization wants him to throw this summer.

The Giants do not have to worry about the college postseason. Mississippi St. was eliminated Sunday in an NCAA regional.